Coming Attractions: Dark Horse

Someone'll come up with a better title for this new feature than Coming Attractions. Right? Please? (Someone probably already did and I skimmed past it in the memo. I'm a notorious memo-skimmer.)

In the meantime, here's what this is all about. Your friends at The Great Curve love reading comics solicitations and thinking about what kinda stuff we want to buy a couple of months from now. Who doesn't?

The difference is, we're going to get on stage and do it for the edification and education of all. If nothing else you'll learn that I'm a crazy old man, so step right up and hearken with your eyes as Kevin Melrose and I pontificate on the relative merits of Dark Horse's solicitations for April 2006. (Go ahead an open up that link in a new window so you can follow along.)

AEON FLUX trade paperback

Kevin: I only rarely caught Liquid Television on MTV, and when I did it always seemed as if they were showing the same episode of Aeon Flux. I also overlooked the four-issue miniseries that this trade collects, which is a shame, because I always enjoy Timothy Green's art. Now here's my chance.

Michael: I'm hesitant to say what I'm about to say because I'm old and my memory is frail, but am I the only person on Earth who remembers Aeon Flux as a comic in Heavy Metal? Did I dream that? This has nothing to do with Aeon Flux: The Trade Paperback except that I've possibly gone insane and think that it's not the first time the character's appeared in this medium.

ARCHENEMIES #1

Michael: Odd title for Dark Horse. I usually expect the superhero comedies to come from someone like Image or Alias. It doesn't say, but I assume this is a mini-series. Interesting concept, but I wouldn't think you could get a lot of mileage from it.

Kevin: It is a rather unlikely fit for Dark Horse. But superhero-humor seems to be playing (relatively) well right now, so why not? It's unclear whether this is a miniseries or an ongoing, though. I'm familiar with some of Melbourne's writing, and I've worked with Hiltbrunner and Keplinger. Plus, Joe Rubenstein is the inker. So, I'm familiar with most of the creative team; it's a solid lineup.

BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #112

Michael: I guess it's not really a crossover, but it's kinda cool that Hiroaki Samura is using the historical character from Samurai Executioner in Blade of the Immortal. Which also ties Blade into Lone Wolf and Cub.

B.P.R.D.: THE UNIVERSAL MACHINE #1

Michael: Can we just call B.P.R.D. an ongoing series already? It is and I love it. I just wish I didn't have to keep track of what order all the mini-series come out in.

Kevin: There was a time when this series, or series of series, seemed like filler while we waited for the next Hellboy story to roll around. That's certainly not the case anymore. Now I look forward to reading B.P.R.D. as much as -- if not more than -- Hellboy. I'm a big fan of Guy Davis, and I've been enjoying how Mike Mignola and John Arcudi have been building on the previous miniseries with each new installment. Great, fun stuff. The Universal Machine should prove to be much of the same.

CONAN VOLUME 3: THE TOWER OF THE ELEPHANT AND OTHER STORIES

Kevin: I read a few of my brother's Conan comics when I was a kid, but sword & sorcery has never held much appeal for me. But a while back I saw artist Cary Nord post some of his charcoal drawings for this series, and I was just blown away. Having the always-solid Kurt Busiek as the writer is just gravy (although, as we know, he's now signed an exclusive with DC). Needless to say, I'm ordering this trade and the first two.

Michael: I've been following the series as a monthly from the beginning and you're in for a treat. Nord is amazing and Busiek gets Conan. The way he sews his original material between Howard's stories and connects everything without letting you see the stitches is masterful. Smart marketing too, making sure each volume contains a Howard adaptation.

THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON: TIME'S BLACK LAGOON NOVEL

Michael: I've always thought of Creature from the Black Lagoon as more of an adventure tale than a science fiction one, but I get how it could be seen that way. I'm not thrilled with the "bending" and "reinventing" that Di Filippo's doing, but I accept it as valid for the sci-fi approach he's taking, and after all, he's a sci-fi author. I assume that in hiring him, Dark Horse sees the Creature property as science fiction – I just would've been more excited to see someone like F. Paul Wilson or even Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child take a shot at it.

DREADFUL ED hardcover

Michael: This sounds great. Death Jr. was a wonderful book and though this sounds only superficially similar to that, they share a concept that I love. I'm a sucker for any story about finding the sweet and innocent in the monstrous.

Kevin: Death Jr. was my initial thought, too. That's probably an obvious, if unfair, comparison. Still, Death Jr. was enjoyable, so there certainly are worse books to which Dreadful Ed could be measured against. From the cover image, it appears to be a period piece, which suits me just fine. Throw in the Boogeyman, and art by Troy Nixey (Jenny Finn, Grendel: Black, White & Red) and Dave Stewart, and I'm sold.

NEXUS ARCHIVES VOLUME 3 HC

Michael: Makes me wonder why Steve Rude is contemplating self-publishing and what, if any, conversations have transpired between him and Dark Horse concerning future Nexus comics.

SCARY BOOK VOLUME 2: INSECTS trade paperback

Kevin: I ordered the first volume, which doesn't come out until February, and I'll happily buy this one before I even crack that first one open. Kazuo Umezu is generally considered the grandmaster of Japanese horror, and with good reason: His work is subtle, character-driven and chilling. Volume 2 promises a full-length story called "Butterfly Grave," about a girl with a devastating fear of butterflies. Butterflies! Dark Horse, here's my $13.95. Thank you.

Michael: See, my ignorance about Japanese pop culture may be holding me back, but I'm skeptical about the whole butterfly-horror sub-genre. On the other hand, I very much appreciate the three adjectives you used to describe Umezu's work in general. I'll be giving this one a flip-through now.

STAR WARS: REBELLION -- MY BROTHER, MY ENEMY #1

Michael: Does "Luke Skywalker and his companions" include Han and Chewie? 'Cause I'm done with Star Wars comics unless they have Han and Chewie in them. Enough of the freakin' Jedi, Imperial minions, and other secondary characters. Get back to the real stars.

Kevin: I haven't read a Star Wars comic since around the time of The Empire Strikes Back -- to be specific, Issue 83 of Marvel's run, which showed Lando fleeing from guys with jetpacks on the cover -- but somebody is keeping this franchise in business. Dark Horse is soliciting three Star Wars series and one trade in April and May alone. Crazy, crazy Jedis.

USAGI YOJIMBO #93

Michael: Every single month I see a solicit for Usagi Yojimbo it makes me long for a comprehensive, numbered trade paperback collection of this series. I want to read Usagi Yojimbo; I just need to know where to start!